Autoresponder Tips: Email Marketing Fundamentals (Part 3) [LNIM150]

This is the third episode in a three-part series on autoresponder strategy– Autoresponder Tips. In this episode, I offer more than a dozen tips that you can use today to super-charge your email marketing. As we've discussed over the last several episodes, exactly how you choose to take advantage of email marketing can make or break your online business. Do you have a game plan for how to manage your email subscribers and the content that you will provide them over the coming months and years? In episode 148, I discussed some key fundamentals. In episode 149, I talked about strategy. In this episode, we discuss real tips that you can implement on a daily basis starting right now.

Autoresponder Tips Show Notes

Today, we will get to where the rubber meets the road and talk a bit more about the practical side of email marketing. I have broken these types into 3 major sections: 6 big ideas which you can implement directly today, 7 execution tips where we talk about actually doing the tips we have discussed, and 5 details which I want you to pay attention to.

The Big Ideas

It’s not a list, silly, it is a person on the other end of the email. If this is your approach, then you got it wrong. One person is reading that email and you are writing to that person. Write with a mindset that you are targeting one individual rather than a massive group that you can your email list. This perspective will also get you over the fear of addressing a big group. Writing to 500 people can feel scary so just think as if you are opening up Gmail and writing an email to a friend.

Make it personal. Bring in your own uniqueness to your brand because you are you. You will reach people in ways that no one else can when you interject your personality.

Help people by delivering massive value. Your email should not revolve merely around offer after offer. It should aim to engage readers as you help one reader at a time. Don’t email them if you do not have something to say or just because.

Have an objective for your readers. Where are you trying to get them to? What is the journey that you have in mind when you plan your email sequence?

Change the emails that you send based on what your reader is doing. Start developing the sophistication to change the emails that you send based on what they are interested in.

Do the work that it takes to test and track. Install the Google Analytics that you need so you can look at your metrics such as open and conversion rates to understand how you are doing and what you can do to make things better.

Execution Tips

Worry about deliverability. Pay attention to stop words that automatically trigger marketing filters, spam filters, etc. as you need to understand the spam score of your emails. Understand as well whether your email is going to land in Gmail’s marketing promotion tab or in someone’s inbox so you can take steps on how to combat this.

Pay attention to subject lines. This may be the most important thing in your email as this will determine whether or not someone will read your email. There are lots of resources online on how to pick the ones which convert best.

Keep your emails short and to the point. Respect people’s time and be cognizant that we are all busy.

Ask questions and invite a reply. To keep trying to make these emails personal, engage your audience. Use this as a way to get to know your people on your list and get into conversations to tell you about what help they need, topics they want to see, products they like.

Change things up. Do not send the same templates over and over to keep things interesting.

Pay close attention to how much you are selling. Do not sell all the time. Make sure you are giving way more content than you are selling. You will make more money this way.

Don’t sell too soon. Be careful in asking for a sale on the first email as you should have a very good marketing reason for doing this. Be intentional about how you are early you are selling to a new subscriber.

The Details

Use your real name. People will not be interested in getting an email from LateNightInternetMarketing.com, they will be interested in receiving one from Mark Mason.

When they subscribe, tell them exactly what they will expect.

Use their name but use it carefully and in moderation.

When driving traffic, do not put links too far below. Have one of those links up high or in email messages 2 – 3 times so your readers can click on them effortlessly.

Don’t forget the power of the P.S. There is something magical about post scripts that people’s eyes get drawn to it. These messages get read and we see a lot of conversion rate.

Links Mentioned In This Episode Autoresponder Strategy

Help Me Help You

The more I hear from you about your struggles, trials and tribulations, the more I can help. So, be sure to leave comments on this post to reach out to me on Twitter @LateNightIM or on the LateNightIM Facebook Fan Page.

I'd love to hear what you think about the podcast. Better yet, Id love to answer your question about Internet marketing on the show. Just drop me a line here on the blog or on the digital recorder at 214-444-8655. Dont worry, there are no stupid questions. Unless you tell me not to, when you ask a question or leave a comment might even use it on the show.

Help Me Help Others

Thanks so much for your reviews on iTunes. We get a ton of exposure from iTunes, and we really appreciate the reviews there. At last count, we were over 100 reviews worldwide and counting. Reviews help us get new listeners — so I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review. To leave a review, just go to latenightim.com/itunes and follow the instructions. Thanks!